


The World Without You

by ZabiHakuhei



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Alcohol, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Original Character(s), Original Story - Freeform, Slurs, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:01:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21682669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZabiHakuhei/pseuds/ZabiHakuhei
Summary: The lobby of a psychiatric clinic is by far the worst place to pick up a date. A short, one-shot, concept story of love and madness in the streets of New Orleans.
Kudos: 1





	The World Without You

The psychiatric clinic of Dr. Mallard was having what he considered a ‘busy morning’ of work, a patient on his office, a patient on his lobby, and one more to come late in. Mallard was a psychiatrist on his 40s who worked with the city hall and only received patients from lawyers and judges, most of the time; it was just to determine the mental health of someone being judged for murder or any other crime of gruesome distinction, but in July his usual consults took a flip. Both of their cases were at least once on the newspapers and the TV, but society’s dexterity to overcome hard times through ignorance or support made the scandals disappear from the minds of many just as fast, the only ones still aware and concerned of their existence were Mallard and their lawyers – _And if any other upper being are looking upon them, then it would help me be relieved_. – Was what the Doctor thought.

The first patient was at seven o'clock, right on the early morning, Mallard believed in making use of every day as much as possible, and he wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. A man in his 30s who was accused by his own family of stealing their insurance policy and wasting it all on a trip to Morocco, where he spent an entire month isolated in a hotel room having drugs and sex workers being sent to him regularly. It was the worst type of client Mallard could have, and he had to deal with people like him constantly in his job, wearing sunglasses and an Armani leather jacket the man had his feet over the desk of the Doctor, loudly bloating about how his family was being unfair with him, drinking coffee from a silver thermos which toasty bean smell was merged with the unmistakable shades of rum. Gladly for the Doctor, to evaluate his condition was mere procedure, unknown to the early boozer on his office, Mallard was known for being the psychiatrist who condemns people faking mental problems, he was the one lawyers, even the ones defending these clients, relied on him to bust their declarations of ‘not sane’, so the verdict could finally find them guilty. The red light on the lobby turned off when the door opened, the man laughed off the doctor who nervously dashed from his back, trying to catch him as he stumbled drunk out of the office, Mallard prayed on his mind for this situation to end, and yet completely forgot about his second client, an hour and a half passed by, and she was waiting on one of the sofas reading a magazine. The man on the Armani jacket noticed her presence and shook Mallard off his forearm, walked a couple of steps in front of her and mumbled the offering of his adulterated drink, for what the girl replied with a small smile, leaving the magazine aside and standing up, closing the gap between them and holding on the thermos from both sides with her hands, Mallard was astonished of her lack of reaction from the breath of rum, running right on her face, then a kick with her knee on his guts was enough to make both the Doctor and the receptionist have the first laugh of the day.

– I see you’re feeling better this week around, Lena – The Doctor chuckled when pulling a handkerchief to clean his hands and arms from the smell of alcohol. The girl sat back on the sofa as the receptionist took the man off the place. The young one was of delicate constitution, her skin pale like the brightness of a full moon, of short, black hair, almost bowl-cut style, interrupted with long bangs on the sides, with a leather eye-patch of a flower pattern where her left eye should be, wearing only a white sundress with small fold details. Lena looked up to Mallard in silence; her only blue eye wasn’t pleased to hear that. – I see, you’re having it rough again, please come in, tell me everything you want to say about it, and remind me at the end to give you a new receipt – He explains and gestures for her to walk in the office, still without sharing a single word, she sighed and followed his instructions, she was the second appointment of the day, one of the special patients that changed Mallard routine on his office entirely.

Some minutes later a young man came into the office – Good morning Beatrice, I came early today because… Oh, he’s busy – He gasped disappointed and surprised when greeting the receptionist and seeing the red light turned on in front of the door of the lobby. – Good morning Elliot, I’m sorry we have a busy schedule this day, did you have plans? – The woman greeted him back with a smile and fixing her glasses, leaving papers and pen aside to focus on him, the second patient who changed the routines of Mallard. Elliot was a young one of average height, of white skin, brown hair and green eyes, wearing a gray sweater and white shirt with graffiti stamps and blue jeans, he nodded and scratched the back of his head in silence and looked for spot in the sofa, scanning the magazines in the tables with the tips of his fingers, noticing plenty of them had the corners of certain pages folded in ads of promotional trips out of the country. – Will Doctor Mallard take long with his patient? – He asked when opening one of the folds in what was a touristic trip to Mexico. – I’m sorry but he will, his patient came in just recently – Beatrice explains with a playful smile organizing some archives while standing up. – I see, well, I just wanted to save time but I’m not in a hurry either – He sighs turning to the folded pages. – What were you going to do, did you finally get a date? – The woman giggles curious – Was the _finally_ really needed? Jesus – Elliot complained raising his eyebrows – And no, but is tourist season and I wanted to try to make Martha cut my vacations and let me work again at the restaurant – he sighed in clear doubt from the success of his plans. The hour passed by in silence, only interrupted by the phone calls Beatrice had to pick up and the writing of her pen rubbing on the wood desk through the sheets, the red light was turned off and Elliot stretched his back and arms in happy anticipation. The door opened slowly and Lena came out waving goodbye to the doctor – Elliot, good morning, you are all quite early today, come in when you’re ready ok? – The Doctor explained satisfied with his patients’ punctuality and without much thought, he closed the door again rubbing the back of his neck. – Hey you’re cute – The girl of the eye-patch mentioned to Elliot calling his attention, he tried to answer at the moment, but he was held back by the figure of Lena, and her missing part, his expression was a puzzle the girl has seen a repeated amount of times – Wow, that is the fastest someone has ever feel pity for me – She groaned and laughed sitting in the sofa at the other side of the lobby. – I’m sorry it wasn’t my intention… I never met someone, so young? With an eye-patch – He stuttered his way with easy words to spout at the moment of awkwardness, but Lena just shrugged with a smile – Say, do you have plans for later? If you’re free, maybe we can go out for something? – She asked changing and ignoring the first theme, Elliot gulped down saliva and held back again, but before he had time to think of an answer, Beatrice coughed the silence away – Doctor Mallard is waiting for Elliot – The woman said with traces of anger on her tone, discretely shaking her head to the boy, making signals to reject her invitation. The young one stood up and giggled nervously – I’m sorry I need to go now – He pointed at the door as he walked to it, Lena crossed her legs and picked up on a magazine, opening it wide and stopping on the ad of a cruiser for the Caribbean, folding its corner – It's okay, I don’t have anything to do, I’ll wait for you to come out – She turned one last time to him, her smile on her round face made the boy feel confused on the inside, but not even knowing the name of the girl, he went into the Doctor’s office and mentally cataloged the girl as a teaser, betting she would have left by the time his appointment was over.

Elliot and Mallard's consults were always filled with the familiarity of an older brother hearing the troubles of his younger, problematic brother. The questions of the Doctor were always the same, and the replies of Elliot keep the same consistency, the repeated routine made the hour pass by in a blink, and the boy knew on the silence, that once again he failed to meet the expectations of Mallard – I guess, this means you will make me come again next month too right? – He asked turning his face, mumbling silent slurs of frustration. – Well, Elliot, you have gone through the regular questions with full success, but the last ones… they’re the most important, and your lack of negative reactions which should be normal in someone of your position, is something which makes me wonder if you’re dealing with this properly – Mallard explains sitting on the corner of his deck and holding the notebook under his armpit, sighing and scratching his beard – So, what you say is to finally get over these sessions I need to show symptoms of trauma? You want me to don’t be able to sleep at night? To have sequels of that day mess with my studies or my work, because I could fake it if it means to get over this – He bitterly shrugs showing total displeasure with the situation. – And the fact that our only way to get you free from this sessions is for you to fake it is what worries me the most, Elliot, is not that I want you to suffer, but normative people don’t go through this accident as easy as you’re doing – The Doctor insists turning around the desk, gesturing with his hands as he walks, leaving the notebook over it and sitting on a chair – Have you ever considered that I’m not having symptoms of episodes of trauma because it was everything in self-defense? - Elliot groaned with sarcasm, gesturing with his right hand, copying the Doctor. – Is that it Elliot? Do you not feel anything from it because you consider yourself a hero? – He asked leaning on the desk, his hands showing the old man was tensing up from the implications of the boy – Well, of all the things people have been calling me and naming me, having someone call me _‘hero’_ wouldn’t be so bad – He replied with a childish tone, making Mallard groan even louder – Hey! – Elliot shouts in surprise. – Sorry, I’m sorry that was, unprofessional, why not change the subject, Beatrice made me know through fax you had plans for the day; you want your job back it seems? – The Doctor wonders looking for a yellow sheet in the mess of papers over the desk with the notes of the receptionist wrote in it. – I love my job, is what keeps me going, but Martha insists I need vacations – Elliot explains, now with a sad tone when sitting on the edge of the furniture. – And the college also put your studies on hold while you attend these sessions, must be hard not having anything to do – Mallard pauses, having an idea, then taking off a sheet from his notebook of receipts and writing down – Let’s do this, give this note to Martha, let’s see if it helps you go back to work, in exchange, I need you to explore this subject more deeply, I need you to consider not feeling remorse for what you did is wrong – He finished explained and handed the paper to Elliot, who took it reluctantly with a doubtful expression – If she still says no, well, maybe you should try doing something else with your forced vacations, is nothing else of your interest recently? – Mallard asked standing up and fixing his pants, the boy instantly pointing at the door with his thumb from behind his back – The girl you had before tried to ask me out for a date… I considered to accept – His words made the old man cough in surprise, he brought his handkerchief to cover his face, but the stench of rum left made cough even louder, he hurried to go for a bottle of water in the mini-fridge in the corner of his office. – Elliot, you’re… in all matters, a good person, but you are bad at making decisions by your own – The Doctor relates a bit angry, calming down after gulping down a couple of sips – I never thought I would have to say something like this to one of my patients, but the clinic of a psychiatrist is _way_ one of the worst places to hook up a date – There’s worry on his tone, the boy can notice, his expression of concern makes Elliot feel guilty enough to stop talking about it, he just nods in silence, Mallard decides to finally let him leave.

When he opens the door, Elliot laughs on the inside when he sees the girl was no longer in the lobby, his assumption was right, and even Mallard sighed on relief from her absence, they both said goodbye before he left, greeting Beatrice for the last time that day he went off the office and up the stairs out in the street, it was 10am, and the sudden brightness of the morning coming out from the cozy psychiatrist office hit him right on the eyes, covering with an arm, he couldn’t notice of the person who was leaning on one side at the entrance of the doctor’s clinic. – You took your time in there, are you perhaps a troublesome boy? – A feminine voice wondered with sarcasm behind his back, he turned confused and flustered when he recognized the girl in the sundress slowly approaching to him, the subtle movements of her body showing in dear confidence a lack of underneath – I had to leave the lobby because Beatrice wouldn’t stop telling me to forget about you and go back home, did you felt sad when you didn’t see me in the sofa? – She laughed again, this time with both arms behind her back, bending to him with a prickly smile. – I… maybe a little – The boy confessed in the confusion from the incandescent morning and the eagerness of the unknown girl – I’m sorry, I forgot to ask Doctor Mallard for your name – He explains trying to make time and recover his composure, his gaze lost on the humble and slim body of the girl in front of him, she was small enough to reach up to his neck only. – I’m Lena, but I don’t like that name, you can call me Chrome – She explains playing with one of her bangs with her fingers, the strip of her purse easily slipping from her shoulder, her nails were pink at the center and white in the edges – Chrome… like the girl from the videogame? – He wonders with a chuckle. – Videogame, do I look like a nerd to you? – She laughed at his question and stand back up, taking a couple of steps closer, his gaze now posing to the black sandals of high platform she was using, her toes painted the same way, in the ever-growing noise of cars running on the streets of New Orleans and the people passing by staring at them, the girl grabbed on his arm with a smile and turned to his side – So tell me, what is your answer, would you like to spend the day with me? – The girl asked one more time to Elliot, and a primitive manner inside of him, he replied with a silent nod.

Both the boy and the girl took a walk out of the streets of Crescent Care and into the French Quarter. Elliot was looking for his favorite Starbucks on Canal Street, but Chrome pulled him in a different direction at the last second, going inside of a small market with a public bathroom, the girl pulling on the nervous boy as they went in without any shame one after the other. After twenty-five minutes, Elliot's face shyly pops from out of the door, fixing his hair with a nervous smile full of joy, laughing with Chrome as they ran out of the market before anyone could ever notice them. The girl locking up her arm with his again, sighing in unabashed satisfaction and laughing from the situation, making Elliot laugh again from the nerves as they go back into the streets. – So, do you plan to explain any soon why was that? – He wonders trying to stop his chuckle. – Heh, is that a complaint? Are you complaining? I swear to God, men – Chrome shakes her head and snorts – No is not complaining, is just, if we are going to spend the day together we could’ve left that for later, don’t you think so? – He gasps unable to keep with the peace of the girl pulling on his arm. – On the contrary, you may not know it in the bunch of hamster shivers you have as personality, but you have nice looks, you’re handsome – She explains all serious pointing at his face with a finger, then holding on his chin – You have a nice profile you know that? And your fingers – She paused between words taking on the hand wrapped on her arm and rubbing their fingertips together – They’re so rough, I love it, I don’t know what you do for a living but hands like these are women killer’s – She finishes with her serious tone, and looks up to him with a strange smile – You took my attention at the first moment, but I don’t know anything about you, so I wanted to bang you before you would say anything stupid and ruin the entire day, do you understand my point? – She finished with a pretentious gesture of the hand and a duck face and then continued laughing as they walked to the Starbucks. – I kind of, and kind of not, but I don’t want to complain about it, it was good – He confesses looking aside. – Good, just good? – Chrome insisted in her sarcastic tone. – Well, it was great… I didn’t know a girl could arch her back as you did – The boy completed his sentence with a giggle, both of them going into the store and queuing with the rest of the customers. – That’s just because I’m skinny, and what about you? I didn’t know a man could get so violent so fast, is amazing they didn’t find us out when we made the bathroom’s door shake like that – She snorts loudly, covering her face with her free hand when digging on her most recent memories, the boy looking from left to right nervous at the stares of everyone looking at them in confusion of their scandal, holding his desire to laugh he tries to shoosh her all in vain. Buying two cups of Mocca and couple of monster cookies they sit near the window in a tall table and chairs, taking a pause of their naughty laughter to quietly enjoy the drinks, but Chrome was being bombarded by a kid on the table next to them, throwing crumbs of cookie on her head – Hey Cyclops, Cyclops look this way! – The little brat shout holding on the back of his chair while throwing crumbs – I know you can hear me Cyclops, look this way you freak! – He insisted with all malice, Elliot was surprised of the girl’s lack of care of having her hair adorned in cookies like a Christmas tree, he stood off the chair, but Chrome stopped him by holding on his hand, the girl then finally turned to the kid and giving her back to Elliot, she took her eye-patch off and shout – Boo! – With as much malice as the kid, who stopped right at the moment, and started crying horrified, the girl quickly put her eye-patch back before turning back to Elliot and both of them continued on their drink when the mother of the kid appeared and found her kid sobbing his lungs out, unable to explain the reason. – So, are you visiting Doctor Mallard's office because of your eye? – The boy wonders looking down on the table. – Oh, are we doing this already? Meeting each other? Well let’s do this, for every part of my life I share with you, you will tell me something back – She formulates while playing with the cookie with marks of bites by placing it in front of her patch. – Seems good enough, as long as it doesn’t bother you – He adds, the girl swirls her eye. – It's obviously we have a lot of awkward things to say, we both came from the same hole after all, but sure – She replies taking a sip of her cup, taking a moment to savor the coffee and continue – Let me start, you already know my name, and you already know I prefer to be called Chrome, I’m half Japanese from my father, and half Russian from my mother, or at least that’s how it seems to be, funny enough, the two of them went to America to start a family, I don’t know anything from those countries since I was born and raised here, and I’m going to sessions with Doctor Mallard because my older sister took my eye off with a knife on a fight – The last part not only made Elliot cough, but the people in the next tables as well, even though everyone was into their conversations, that specific, and unique sentence, was enough to take everyone off guard.

Feeling the store wasn’t the best place to have that conversation; Elliot suggests finishing their drinks and walking away from the place. Waiting at the streetcar stop, Chrome wonders if he would like to do it again when they pass by the Museum of Art, but Elliot takes the bravery to suggest his apartment for when their date ends, rejecting to once again do it on a public bathroom. Getting on the streetcar and sitting beside the other, they had the entire wagon for themselves while the driver was busy worrying about the cloudy weather coming from the east. – So, why did your sister do that? – Elliot asks going back to the conversation. – Nah, I shared a portion with you, now you have to give me something back – She replies by placing a finger on his lips, leaning on him and getting close of his face – Right now, I would like a kiss – Chrome softly mumbles, surprising her, the boy closes the gap and takes the initiative, snatching a kiss from her, his left hand holding the back of her head, his fingers running over her scalp, the hands of the girl replying the kiss by slowly rubbing their way up his thighs, pausing by rubbing their foreheads together, looking at each other and kissing again – You are… good at this… did you put something on my drink? All of this feels surreal – Elliot wonders with a drunken smile, taking a pause by softly pushing her away by the shoulder – The one who kissed first wants to talk, you are good on this too, your mouth tastes funny – She shyly giggles showing an unexpected and honest side – We both drank the same though – Elliot replies when the girl hugs him by the neck – But I also ate your cock, and my mouth doesn’t taste salty, does it? – The girl whispered on his ear, making him violently snort, startling both the girl and the driver. Having their make out moment ruined by awkward laughter, they leaned on each other watching the cars pass by from the window, Chrome quietly playing with his fingertips, the boy was lost on his thoughts, and everything was going too fast, it felt hasty and disordered, but somehow, both of them were enjoying the moment – My sister – Chrome whispers, taking the boy off his meditation – One day my sister invited me to go out with her, we spent the whole time together, and it was the worst day of my life, I ruined everything in every chance, when we got home, she was fed up of me, she took a knife and said ‘ _you’re not my sister’_ then stabbed my eye with it – She explains slowly and with a depressed tone, avoiding to look up at him, focusing only his fingertips, Elliot replying by holding her hand together with his, softly kissing her over her head, resting her face over the chest of the boy, he felt small, warm drops of liquid fall on his right arm, he remained silent until the streetcar stopped in the crosswalk to City Park. Firmly holding on the girl, Elliot helped her to leave the vehicle, he could hear her cleaning her nose without any shame then separating from the boy to stretch her arms and take a deep breath – Feeling better? – He asks from behind, the girl looks from her back and gives him a bittersweet smile – I’m sorry, for that moment of weakness – She apologizes and walks back to him, they were in the middle of the crosswalk with cars passing by from left and right, adding the loud, crumbling noises of a thunder in the clouds, he still got to hear something a person going to psychiatrist shouldn’t say – Do you really think talking about your life is being weak? You won’t be able to open to anyone that way – He explains with concern, to which Chrome reacted by abruptly walking in front of him and pointing at him with a finger – Don’t you dare to use Dr. Mallard’s crap with me, I opened to you anyway, didn’t I?! – She shouts, Elliot goes nervous when he notices both the driver and the policeman in the streetcar stop started looking at them – I’m sorry, it wasn’t my intention, I just worry for you – He stutters, gesturing her to calm down – Well I didn’t ask you to worry for me – She turns back still angry, shaking the skirt of her dress, another thunder announcing the unavoidable rainfall – Then, what is that you want from me exactly? I thought this was a date, and we are barely getting to know each other, what is that you want, a one-stand sex partner? A relationship, what? – His sudden and aggressive questionnaire made the girl turn back with a devil smile, rather than offended, she looked almost satisfied – Oh, so there’s more in you than being a handful of nerves, I like that – She approached Elliot as the raindrops begin to hear on the sidewalk – Believe me, if you knew what is what I want, you would run away instantly, for today I just want… someone to stay with me – She confesses, again using that uncanny, bittersweet smile – So, do you think you can overlook what just happened? I’m enjoying my time with you… and when you live in the same house where the person who took an eye from you, the desire to go back… is almost none – She slowly interlaces her fingers and tilts her head, her expression disarming the boy slowly – I’m… I’m also having a nice time with you, I’m not a guy who dates often and, would you drop the hamster thing, please? You’re the one who has been making me nervous, normally, I’m not like that – He admits, making Chrome shout an acute and small, embarrassing noise, muted and impressed she points at self, the boy nods in the same awkward silence, they giggle to each other and hide from the rain in the crosswalk bench. Minutes passing by, both of them distracted in the cold humid winds of the rain, the sound of the cars splashing ponds of water on the asphalt – Are we waiting for the rain to stop? I don’t mind getting wet – Chrome spouts looking at the sky with boredom, Elliot looking back at her, his gaze posing on her sundress, her humble chest, the girl notices it and holds on her breasts with both hands – Is it because they will be seen through, aren’t you considerate? – She laughs with sarcasm, making him blush. – I’ve been wondering for a while, but, why did you go out today wearing nothing underneath? – He asks defiantly of her teasing. – I just wanted to dress lightly today, and hey, for what it concerns you, it was better you only had to lift my dress in the bathroom – She continues on her teasing, cornering the boy once again – But is just, and I’m sorry I keep talking about it, the first person to see you in that dress was – He stops midway and finishes the sentence with a movement of his hands, the girls bend and laughs in surprise of his assumption – Jesus Christ, that man could be my grandpa, I’m mentally unstable but is not _that_ bad ok? – She leans on him, her laughter growing louder from the surprise of that question.

A man runs on the bench and sits all agitated, folding his umbrella and leaving it to a side, making the two go quiet and hide their laughter, wearing a well-groomed, and almost clean from rain, black suit, he looked like a banker, and his case confirmed his looks, he looked on all the pockets of his jacket for a handkerchief but he couldn’t find it, his face is a mess of rain – Don’t worry, I must have one on my purse – Chrome middles looking for a napkin, but the man snorted with sarcasm, lifted an eyebrow – Don’t worry I don’t need your help – He replied with all his ego, then gestured with a finger the moment his phone started ringing, turning to the other side to attend his call, he couldn’t notice Chrome taking his umbrella, to what Elliot tried to stop her, but she quickly stood up the bench and opened it, giggling and gesturing him to hurry up and follow her, all nervous, he muffles his groan and runs with her out of the cross walk and on the entrance of City Park, hearing the late shouts of the banker when he found out what was happening made them explode in laughter. – So instead of the Museum, what if we do it near the lake instead? – The boy suggests with a prickly smile, finally getting in the mood of Chrome – I get you to want to make up for earlier, but we would end covered with grass, making us itch, and I bet the ducks will peck my ass – She shrugs raising her hands disappointed. – But then you have thought to do it near the lake – Elliot insists. – Stop that, you suck at teasing – She begs, smacking his stomach with her elbow, the umbrella chirping in the wet leaves rubbing on the top of the fabric as they go on the sidewalk, the rain slowly dying as they continue on their trip. – You know, I think I’ve said a lot of me, and you have managed to go through all the morning as a mystery – Chrome wonders, rubbing her shoulders, to what Elliot replies by taking off his sweater and handing it to her, exchanging it for the umbrella, the girl quietly flusters when wearing it, bringing the corners of the neck to her face, taking a deep breath on it – You smell good, Elliot – She whispers satisfied. – Well, to be fair, it was both because you didn’t want me to know me at first, and then you choose to kiss me instead of letting me talk – The boy replies ignoring the girl smelling his clothes. – Don’t mind the small details, c’mon, its your time to talk – She insists, pulling up the zipper of the sweater, smiling wide hugging herself, making Elliot unable to keep holding a straight face, getting all red from her reactions – Well, just like you, I was born and raised here, but my parents are not American, they came from Spain, a long time ago to live here in New Orleans – He tells, clearing his throat to regain composure. – And why are you attending to Dr. Mallard’s clinic? – She wonders in the obvious provocation. – Because I killed two men one day – Elliot groans and looks aside, there’s a pause between the two, they keep on walking, but not a word is shared in several minutes, until Chrome wraps his arm, not looking at him, not smiling anymore. – You must be as rich as my sister then, to have killed two men and be attending to a psychiatrist instead of being in jail – She comments with a firm tone. – It was viewed as self-defense by both the judge and the lawyers, that’s why I’m not in prison – He replies in the same tone. – Wait, you’re the guy who appeared in the news a couple of months ago! From the robbery in the college! – She shouts smacking her hands together. – Yeah that was me, a guy in our classroom was dealing drugs in the campus, and he got in debt with his suppliers, the men in the classroom were sent to make it look like a robbery that went wrong, I was the last one to go in the class, that’s when it happened – He narrates, still without looking at her, his eyes lost on the lake – Did you really kill one of them… with a pencil? – The girl continues intrigued, Elliot nods. – It was what I had at hand, and to be fair it was really sharp, right on his neck, then the other with his gun – He explained with a morbid, proud tone of his feat, the girl wrapped on his arm even tighter. – You’re like a superhero, you saved the whole classroom and that guy – She giggles and rubs her nose on his arm. – Thank you, I’ve been waiting two months for someone to say that exactly, but people just wanted me to go into the psychiatrist, and I think the college is considering to drop me off, so nothing is going as it should – Elliot complains with his hands, they stop by in awkward silence when they reach the front of the Museum of Art, looking at each other, sharing a laughter, they choose to don’t try the public bathrooms of the museum. They continue their trip around the park, passing by the bridge and the Café du Monde, and then running fast when walking near the Pavilion of the Two Sisters, the rain finally stopped, the sky cleared and the sun appeared merciless, creating a layer of mist which made Chrome instantly take off Elliot’s sweater and throw it right onto his face.

This time the boy took the initiative and pulled the girl’s arm through Bourbon St. passing by the local stores and restaurants until he stopped on a tiny store at the corner. – You paid for the coffee, so let me treat you lunch this time – He tells proudly as the bell on top of the door rings when they come inside – What I gave you was some expensive mocha and cookies, and your treat is going to be some po’boys, is irony, right? – The girl snorts with cruel sarcasm, and at the second is surprised by the customers and employees on the small deli store, yelling and waving their greetings to the boy, who waves back with a wide smile – Just wait and see, this is where I work, Martha, are you here? Martha! – He shouts out loud without any shame, from the counters into the door of the kitchen, Chrome remains muted from the sudden change of attitude of the boy and the loud commotion generated by him and the busy customer lines, the voice of an angry old woman can be heard from the depths of the store, replying confusing words to the boy, gradually getting clear as her steps resound in the wooden floor. Martha was a big and tall Irish woman of curly light, red hair, round as an apple, ‘handle with care’ written all over her face, Chrome felt intimidated instantly, then took a couple of steps back and squirmed when Martha lifted the table of the counter to meet with them, Elliot chuckled with malice. – Elliot no, no you little piece of crab, what are you doing here? Your vacations aren’t over, Luis and O’Neill can cover you just fine, c’mon, back away you go – The woman doesn’t lose time, hasty and worrywart, she turns back the boy from the shoulders like she’s just handling a piece of paper, and begins to gently bump him away from the store, Elliot replies by laughing and quickly bringing Dr. Mallard’s note from his pocket – Not so fast, this time I came with reinforcements, the Doctor said I can work again while I’m not in college – He smiles victoriously, Chrome still doesn’t follow the situation, the woman takes the note and brings a pair of tiny glasses from the inside of her shirt, reading it with all detail, her mouth making weird gestures of someone who never learned to read without talking, she sighs and waves the paper disappointed, a hand on her waist, Elliot’s smile couldn’t be bigger. – I don’t know how you do it, but you manage to put everyone in your favor, don’t you… and the girl hiding in your back is? – She huffs trying to calm down, Elliot smile wears off in an instant, Chrome takes it as a chance and forces a giggle, wrapping his arm – I’m his girlfriend, we are on a date! – She shouts in the fakest and girliest voice she could find, the store goes into peak commotion and begins to cheer and clap to a red face Elliot – _That’s what you get for making fun of me_ – The girl whispers with a malicious smile. – Oh, Elliot, I’m so happy for you, and you came here to show her the place, right in, come right in! – Martha shouts all happy, gesturing with her hand making her arms jiggle, the boy runs inside the kitchen embarrassed and everyone laughs, Chrome following behind – There’s some fresh bass in the fridge of the corner, you guys have fun! – The woman shouts one last time from the door of the kitchen before closing it, Elliot is a handful of nerves again, walking right and left before finally pulling himself together, bringing Chrome to his cooking place passing by O’Neill who was packing a line of sandwiches like a distribution machine – Ok, ok I’m fine – He mourns while holding on the edges of a small metallic table near to a gas kitchen of two burners – You know, jokes aside, I’m not really fond of fish – The girl expresses on a low tone, even O’Neill turns back to look at her with a weird expression, just like the boy – You don’t like fish and you live in New Orleans? – Elliot wonders while cleaning his hands on the faucet and using a cloth hanging on a thread to dry them, almost in autopilot, he fixes the cloth to a side of his waist and goes to the fridge, bringing a large bass with naked hands from the tail, bending to pull a wooden table from the bottom and place the fish in it – Don’t worry, I know what to do for picky eaters – He explains, lost on his procedure, not even looking at her, pulling both a grinder and a long knife, sharpening it in mid-air with precision – Don’t call me a picky eater, I just don’t like fish, you don't know how embarrassing was to say that in my father’s house in Japan with my grandpa- hey, are you listening? – She complained, confused once again of his attitude, the boy was lost on his thoughts, acting by routine, he quickly took the bass from the gills and chopped the head off, Chrome was muted and she had lost count of how many times that had happened in the day, Elliot continued in his trance, slicing the belly and removing the guts, using the tip of the knife to remove the blood in the spine, bringing the table into the faucet to clean both the wood and the fish, bringing it back to the metallic stand, he filleted it in a blink, throw the spine, tail, head and skin into a black deposit with a strange white powder on the sides. He took a deep breath and cleaned his hands, his small smile and whistling made Chrome giggle, that was when the boy remembered her presence – I’m sorry, were you talking to me? – He asked, without looking he raised his hand in vain for the cloth on which no longer was on the thread, the girl pointed at his waist, he laughed and dried his hands – At first I thought you were just showing off to impress me, but you, you like this, don’t you? – The girl suggests approaching the table when she sees him finally put the knives under the faucet. – Is it weird to say I love it? – Elliot says starting the kitchen, pulling a clove of garlic hanging on a rope near a stand with condiments and food supplies – When I'm cleaning the fish… my mind gets so busy, that all the noise outside, and inside, disappears, it calms me down, it helps me think things carefully – He narrates bringing butter garlic, asparagus, and white pepper on the table, using a small knife to cut the garlic on slices he notices Chrome taking a step back, this time, he does get offended – Wow, well that’s a bit rude don’t you think, I’m cooking for you and everything – He tells with clear disappointment on his tone, without looking at her, cleaning the asparagus, quickly adding an iron pan over the burner, throwing butter and garlic on it. – I’m sorry… I’m not doing it on purpose… but would you blame me…? – Chrome stutters ashamed of her reactions. – I guess I can’t, but… well, I should deserve a bit more of trust, we did see each other naked just a couple of hours ago, didn’t we? – He chuckles going in the fridge and bringing sausages, mayo, limes and onion stalks. – Tell me something… did you enjoy it? – Chrome wonders, O’Neill coughs on the distance and hurries to take all the sandwiches out of the kitchen, only the chirping noise of the butter frying the garlic is heard. – The sex, or killing those men? – He asks all serious, this time, turning to her, using a different cloth to bend the pan and make the garlic swim on the butter. – You know what I’m talking about, don’t play dumb – She replied just as serious. – Well you see, the moment I went inside the classroom, I was in my own business, wearing earphones I didn’t get to hear their shouts when they started their robbery – He begins to explain, using a fork to remove the garlic, adding the filleted bass and the asparagus, slicing some sausages in medium bites and adding them into the frying pan – The one at the bottom pointed at me with a gun, the one guarding the door threatened me with a knife, the professor was forced to prostrate on the desk, and the rest of the classroom looked at me in utter despair, I thought _‘what can I do with the pencil on my hand, to help everyone right now?’_ and acted by reflex, nothing else, I didn’t have time to think in something else – He gestures with his hands, annoyed, groaning. – But you do have time to think about it now, so, did you enjoy it? – She insists, this time coming close of him, holding on the hand he was using the knife to chop the stalks. – I didn’t enjoy it then, I didn’t enjoy it now, I saw forty people looking at me, begging to help them get out of that situation, I did what I thought was correct… I want to believe in that – He finishes with a sad tone, sighing, walking to the other extreme of the kitchen and bringing two bags with French bread – With or without grits? – He asks lifting the bags, Chrome smiles – With, are you sure I’m going to like this cooking of yours? – She asks as he leaves one of the bags, goes back to the table and quickly slices the bread open, pouring the piping hot mix of fried bass and crab sausage and asparagus right on each one, slicing the lime in cubes and squeezing an abundant amount of juice over each one, adding the chopped stalks and a bit of mayo, wrapping it with paper and giving one to her – We do this all the time for little kids, I assure you it’ll be of your liking, and if you’re a good girl, I’ll give you some banana pudding we have – He laughs and hands the po’boy to Chrome, who reluctantly grabs it, hiding her smile when hearing about the pudding, unable to complain of being compared to a kid, the first bite is a clear, crunchy sound of the bread and the stalks, joined by the juice of the sautéed fish and crab sausages filling her mouth, she squirms and giggles from the flavor, shaking her head, ashamed of her reaction, gesturing for a napkin as the broth of the fish comes out of her mouth, muffled groans of defeat as she continues to munch on the deli, kicking the ankles of Elliot who doesn’t stop laughing from her noises.

To laugh and run over the streets, making the drivers hit the brakes with a sudden scare seemed regular on the behavior of Chrome, flipping a bird and sticking her tongue to whoever honks the claxon on her, she didn’t really care if the light was red or green, and she was only holding on because of Elliot, but the words the boy thought of spouting inside the store made her turn into a hasty pedestrian without a care for the world, the boy running from behind all anxious. After a couple of blocks the girl finally stopped at the stairs of an apartment building, Elliot shyly bringing a pair of keys from his pocket, opening the main door the girl chased his trail with eager anticipation, walking a couple of floors until Elliot opened the third door of the right hallway, Chrome instantly jumping over him, the boy slamming the door closed with his foot. Desperately, horny, kissing in furious lust, the girl had her legs locked on his back, and her nails gripping on his scalp, he took her from the buttocks and carried her to his room, barely taking off his shoes, falling with her on the bed from the weight of the two, she used the moment to throw her purse out, pull her straps and fold the skirt of her dress up to her waist, removing it all in one go, laughing as the boy was still struggling to remove his pants. She pushed him back, made him kneel on the bed, helping him to unzip, searching for his member, bringing it out, Elliot, breathing loudly on her strokes, hypnotized on the pink polish of her nails, the expression on her face, elegant and perverted, when bringing it inside her mouth driving him insane. This time he pushed her back on the bed, he rubbed his lips on her neck and blow air on it when opening her mouth, making her moan, his hands making path from her hips up to her breasts, making use of his fingertips to hold them as she repeatedly claimed to be her weakness, kissing the middle of her chest, their bodies were in position again, her legs were locked tight and she wouldn’t let him go, he was all the way inside of her and wasn’t planning to stop, caressing the hair between his fingers, looking at her lost in pleasure, the girl losing her grip from the admiration of his eyes, the boy moving faster and harder the more she let out her short, acute screams, a loop to devour the other, ending on loud groans of animal-like climax, rubbing their foreheads, sharing awkward laughs of surprise from their violent explosion of desire, sharing a kiss, trying it one more time. – Are you awake? – He asks after hours of sex and sleeping, the girl replies with a silent nod, her head resting over his chest, his hand drawing circles on her naked back, he could feel her kissing his chest softly, one of her hands looking down on his waist for more action – I… I was thinking is my time to ask now – He stutters, the hand stroking him stops his movement, the girl takes a deep breath and nods again in silence. – I was just thinking… your story was quite off, I can avoid but wonder what did happen in that date with your sister for things to end that way – He suggests, afraid of bringing the angry side of her, but she just stood on the bed, without looking at him, fixing her hair, Elliot with an entire view, a clear line of her spine drawing on her back down until curves of her ass. – Where’s my eye-patch? – She asked timidly, the boy stretched his arm into the night table and took the piece of leather – I put it here when it fell off your face on the third time – He explains and sits on the bed with her, she extends her arm, gesturing to hand it over, but Elliot gently grabs her by the arm and giggles – I already saw it, you don’t have to worry, really – He tells with a funny tone, Chrome looks down on her legs – Are you sure? – She stutters, almost crying, the boy hurried to get closer, and slowly turn her face to him, her left eye was no longer, and only the scars of surgery and the traces of eyelids which hasn’t seen the sun in months were left, he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs, then put the patch back in place, kissing her softly on the lips, then being kissed back. – Years back, I was kidnapped – Chrome whispers looking down, holding hands with Elliot – We were on a family trip in the UK when it happened and… the kidnappers never contacted my parents, never called them for the ransom, after almost six months, they found me on the streets of an avenue in London and I was sent to a hospital then my parents were called by the police – She pauses and rests her head on his chest – Do you know what heterochromia is? Is when someone has two irises of different color, apparently I never had it, but when they found me on the hospital, I had my blue eye which I was born with, and a green eye on the left which my parents nor my sister ever saw before – She pauses again, her voice drowning on her desire to cry, he kissed her head, she held his hands tightly – Everything from that point went hill down, I was also found of amnesia, I still am, I look at my parents and my sister, but they don’t really feel like my family, I don’t remember anything from them, I don’t remember a single shit, that’s what pissed my sister off the most – She shouts bitterly, Elliot shoosh trying to calm her down. – Because you couldn’t remember her? – He questions. – Because I couldn’t even remember myself, that day when we got out together, we visited all the places she said were my favorites, to pick and buy clothes she said I loved, to eat things she said I couldn’t live without and yet… everything felt so weird and confusing… I couldn’t enjoy anything as much as I tried, I couldn’t be the sister she missed so much, she hated that green eye, so much, that’s why she stabbed it – She begins to cry, awful, squirming, her entire body convulsing with her agitated breathing – I miss my eye, Elliot… I miss seeing things properly… I miss not having fear to cross the street, I miss my eye, and I’m never getting it back. –

With the sun basking its last rays of the sunset over the roofs of the buildings, the night came to reclaim its place, joined by the rain, which had all the tourists going back to their hotels. Back in bourbon street, on an open bar, Chrome gulped down her fifth Sazerac in one go, angry, annoyed, blowing off the warm steam left on her mouth and asking for another, but Elliot gestured to the bartender to ignore her and asked for the bill instead. – It won’t stop raining today, right? Today of all days? – She groans dipping a finger on the glass and sucking on the leftovers, leaning on the chair all grumpy, Elliot was just finishing his third vodka shot when he paid for the drinks, both of them watching the rainfall reflected on the lights of the cars coming through the streets – What if we change locations? Maybe we can find a warmer place that is not so crowded, maybe with something different from alcohol – He suggested a bit nervous, the girl replied with a judgmental look, let the glass over the table and stood back up – I know of a place near where you can see a nice amount of new Orleans at night, its close, let’s go – She tells dry and firm, making the boy stutter as she takes a couple of steps out of the plastic ceiling, instantly getting drenched in the pour down. – Are… you’re way too drunk already, isn’t it cold? Come back please – He begs worried, but the girl is no longer obeying, she gently extends her arms and lifts her face, feeling the raindrops, her thin dress sticking on her skin, the boy losing his edge as the water makes the fabric stick to the curves of her ass, the line in the middle clearly see-through – Chrome… you’re soaking wet, come back – He insists one more time, this time wishing for the rain to keep showing more of her. – The day… our date, do you want it to end it here? – Chrome wonders, raising her arms, almost as if she were receiving the offerings of the sky – I love the rain, is cold and energizing, it brings me calm outside and inside, just like some nerd said this afternoon – She laughs and begins to walk off the bar and into the next street, the boy jumps worried and follows her, the water falling on him just as fast – Wait, Chrome, you’re acting weird! – He shouts trying to follow her pace, covering his head with his arms to see, but she laughs and starts running, he has to chase her now – Chrome please, is dark and raining, I can barely see a thing! – He insists and the girl laughs even louder. – Now you know how I feel every day, c’mon, we are close, follow me! – She tells on a playful tone, and goes back to run, maybe is the drink finally getting on his head, or maybe was how absurd the entire day has been, but Elliot started laughing too. Running on the street, passing by the people inside the stores confused of the two running and laughing, he caught to her, they got close of the crosswalk, bright light red, but none of them stopped, people coming out of the stores as they hear many cars smash the breaks, Chrome laughing her lungs out in the middle of the honking, shouts of angry slurs while Elliot tried to apologize to them all in vain, she ran away first, and he went back to chasing. Turning into a corner, a rubbish hallway between a couple of buildings, a space that separated each of the apartment complex and where Chrome received him by wrapping her arm on his neck and devouring his mouth, their breathes of alcohol filling each other, she laughed and pointed to the emergency stairs in one of the buildings, she ran and jumped then pulled the stair down, the boy shook his head watching the drunk one climb the ladder as if it were a game and quickly followed behind. Up on the roof of the building Elliot got to see what she was talking about, the lights of the city at night all emanating from the floor like a festival of colors, the sounds of thunders in the sky joining the scene, the girl dancing on the rain, immersed on the spell of the cold water, he took a deep breath and charged at her, lifting her up on his arms and kissing her, falling on the roof, the girl over him, then rolling around, laughing, kissing, looking at each other with dear smiles, and then, the hands of Chrome took on his hands, placing them on her neck, making his thumbs press on her windpipe – I want you to do it, I know you were lying when you said you didn’t enjoy it, I knew, the moment you said you killed those men, you are the only one who can do this – She shouts for her voice to be heard in the stormy rain, the boy remains mute, astonished, he doesn’t pull his hands away, thunders roar, she gives him a bittersweet smile – You don’t have to say it! I know that is not something anyone wants to say! – She shouts again, this time crying, caressing his hands, caressing his arms – Today has been one of the best days I’ve ever had since I woke up on that clinic in the UK, and this is the best way to finish it! I don’t want to go back to a house with people I don’t know, with people who made me this, please, you’re the only one who I can ask to do it! – She begs, she cries, she squirms awfully fighting for her voice to reach him on the scandal of music, thunders, and cars on the streets – Your hands are so warm – She whispered one last time, before Elliot fixes his legs in place and started to tighten the grip around her neck, the girl looked at him with a tender smile, trying not to fight, trying not to struggle, caressing the face of the puzzled boy – I couldn’t ask for a better… way to die… to you, I give you my life. Elliot… I’ll give you… Everything of me – She hurries to say, anxious, suffocated, the boy groans frustrated, mad, she begins to cough, she fights with herself to don’t resist, but she ends digging her pink polish on the arms of the boy, making him bleed, she does her best to sketch a smile, she tries to tell him that everything will be fine, but all it comes from her mouth are sounds of pain and saliva, and at the moment, at that time, both of them realized, as he loosened the grip on her neck, as she pulled the nails off his arms, they understood, in all the world, in that day, at that moment, the other was the only person in the entire world capable to understand and accept them for what they are, and in an entire world where something like this wasn’t possible to happen – What I’m supposed to do without you – They mumbled, crying, embracing each other, kissing and lamenting their lives, taking off their clothes, licking each other wounds, looking for a place in the heart of the other, as the rain of New Orleans welcomed their twisted bonds.


End file.
